Q. If a certificate of insurance has been issued and later a notice of cancellation is issued for non-payment, does a notice of cancellation have to be sent to the certificate holder?

A. If the policies are endorsed with the endorsements that give the certificate holder notice of cancellation, then the company should be sending them notice of cancellation when they send it to the insured.

If the policies aren’t endorsed so that the company gives the notice, then for the sake of courtesy as well as E&O avoidance, send a letter or a copy of the certificate with “Canceled” stamped on it. This applies only if the policy is actually canceled and you are not expecting reinstatement.